Pirates of the Carribean: Bootstraps Secrets
by Habitual-Liar
Summary: A dream leads Will, Elizabeth and Jack into another adventure that reveals secrets from both Will's and Jack's past. Bootstraps' life and death are of major importance in this adventure. This is my own little POTC:2
1. The Dream Part 1

Will stared out his bedroom window, out across the sea, and into the darkness. His wife Elizabeth remained asleep in their bed, oblivious that Will had just had another horrible sleep shattering nightmare. This one had been worse than the ones before.  
The dream was always the same. Will was aboard a ship, his father's ship, he assumed. He was walking alone in the lower levels of the ship used for cargo. The gentle swaying and the sound of the water lapping the side of the ship, while in life were a great comfort to Will, now seemed eerie and menacing in the cold, dark of the cargo room. Will could barely see before him, but he felt his way along by following the splintering wood of the walls. He would travel like this a ways before coming to a narrow stairway leading to a trap door on the deck, but before he could open the door a tremendous quake rocked the ship and knocked will back down the stairs. The storage had collapsed around him and it took him a moment to regain his footing.  
Will fought his way back up the stairs and tried to force open the trapdoor. He could hear the sounds of a battle above him. Gunshots and swords crossing only feed Will's desire to brake free from his dark prison.  
  
The sounds above him suddenly stopped and Will froze when he heard the one voice he wished he'd never have to hear again.  
"Good evenin'," Captain Barbossa's said, "Pleasure to be seein' ya so soon after our last meetin'." Will could hear someone spit. "Bill, is that any way to be treatin' yer guests?"  
"Ye ain't no guest, Barbossa." Bootstrap replied, "Yer a lying coward, that's what ye be."  
"I be a pirate, Bill, and nothin' more." Barbossa replied, "Now tell me where me medallion is."  
"Don't have it no more, Barbossa. Gave it away. Made sure you'll never get your hands on it."  
Barbossa was quiet for a moment, then said, "That was a very stupid, very fatal thing for you to do."  
"Maybe," Bootstrap replied, "But it was the only thing for me to do. Ye all deserve to be cursed men. All of ya."  
Barbossa laughed and Will could feel anger growing inside him. He knew this dream was detailing the last moments of his father, Bootstrap Bill. "Now, Bill, ye couldn't be referrin' to that wee little incident with young Jack Sparrow. I thought we moved on, forgive and forget."  
"Nobody's ever gonna forgive that, Barbossa. Ye broke the Code."  
"Code? Ar, what code might that be, eh? The one set down long before I had any say in it? Or the one I create in me own little head? See, I'm more interested in listening to that latter, Mate. Now before I lets ya go, I've got just one more question, Bill. Where's the map?"  
"Thar ain't no map, Barbossa. An' if thair were I wouldn't hand it to ya."  
"You wouldn't be lyin' to me, now would ya Bill?" Bill said nothing. "I see now ye can't be trusted. Get me a cannon ball, men." Barbossa demanded. There was a struggle, and Will continued to fight with the door. Barbossa laughed continuously, then said, "I think it be best if you just go on yer way, Bootstrap. If ye won't be tellin' me much, I figure I'll just be askin' her. Throw him over!" On Barbossa's command there was a moment of commotion and a few seconds later a splash. Will stopped his fight to be freed.  
Bootstrap Bill (or William Turner and Will preferred to consider his father) was dead. 


	2. The Dream Part 2

"Bring me the girl!" Barbossa commanded and the trapdoor was suddenly opened. Light flood the stairway and for the first time Will noticed a young girl, probably nine or ten years old, shared the stairway with him. She was pulled out of the narrow passage by two of Barbossa's men. No one took notice of Will.  
The girl was dressed in an old shirt and a once black, now grey shirt. Her dark brown hair was braided down her back, and her blue eyes locked on Barbossa with a fury inside them Will felt himself. Around her neck a blue cloak was tied, and surprisingly, a small sword hung from her belt. To anyone who didn't know pirates, one would say she was a pirate, a child pirate.  
The sword was ripped away from her, and she made no attempt at retrieving it.  
"'Ello, Madisyn. Remember ol' uncle Barbossa?"  
"Coward." She replied.  
"Now that be no way of talkin' to a friend. Remember when you used to come aboard me ship, the Black Pearl? Remember the fun we had?"  
"The Pearl isn't yours, Barbossa. It's Jack's."  
"Dead men can't sail ships, Madisyn."  
"You do." She replied coldly. The memory of the curse placed on Barbossa's men made Will smile. The walking dead, they had been, but not really dead. Madisyn's response seemed to anger Barbossa at first, but then, very unexpectedly, he laughed.  
"Too true, young Madisyn. Too true. You're an awfully clever girl, Madisyn. Tell me, do ye think you could sail a ship dead?" Barbossa asked. Will watched as Barbossa pulled her toward the edge of the ship and leaned her over.  
Madisyn screamed and tried to force herself back. Soon Barbossa let her go and she stubbled backwards.  
Madisyn stood back, regaining her composure. "I'm not up to killing young girls, even cursed, big mouthed girl's like yerself, but if the need does arise, it will be done, savvy."  
Madisyn stood rigid. Will knew the last word reminded her of Jack Sparrow. He knew because it had reminded him of Jack as well.  
"Alright, Madi, you're going to answer me questions." Barbossa said.  
"Yes." Madisyn replied.  
"First off, where did Bootstrap send me medallion?"  
"England." Will was surprised at her sudden compliance.  
"To who!" Barbossa shouted.  
"I don't know!"  
"Yes, ya do!"  
"You know I don't. Bootstrap had a son in England, it was probably to him."  
Barbossa growled. "Alright, where be Bootstraps map?"  
"I can't say."  
"Yes ye can, ye have to."  
"I've been told already, not to tell anyone."  
"Tell me!"  
"I CAN'T!" Barbossa growled again. Will stood, confused about why she so willing gave the information pertaining to the medallion, but protected this map so.  
"I'll be throwin' ya overboard then." Barbossa signaled to one of his men who picked up Madisyn and carried her over to the rail. He held her above his head and she screamed. Will was filled with panic and, although he knew this to be only a dream, tried to stop it by running straight at the man who held the girl. He curled his fist and took one good swing at the man.  
Will woke up. He still felt a tinge of panic and anger inside him. 


	3. The Story of Madisyn Hart

Will didn't return to bed that night. Instead he silently got dressed and left, leaving Elizabeth with nothing more than kiss on the check. He headed for a tavern by the name of the Blue Eel. Will wasn't much of a drinker, especially so early in the morning, so when he entered he walked by the barmaid and headed toward the darkest corner in the room. The spot was already occupied; fortunately it was by the very man Will wanted to see.  
"Oh, young Turner, what brings ye to the Blue Eel so early in the day?" Mr. Gibbs asked. He was clearly drunk, but then again, when wasn't he?  
"I just wanted to talk." He said.  
It had been a year since Will first met Mr. Gibbs. Almost immediately after Mr. Gibbs fell into some wealth, bought this tavern, and has barely left since. He was happy.  
"Aye, a right good time for it, too. What ye be yearnin' to talk about?"  
"You knew my father, right?" Will asked, not sure yet whether to jump into his dream, or keep it too himself.  
"Aye, I knew 'im. Good man. Great pirate." Will couldn't help but to think he'd heard that before.  
"Well, can you tell me anything about his crew when Barbossa killed him?"  
Gibbs looked at Turner strangely. "Don't know why you'd want ta know about them. They were the worst sort. Some fought loyally with Ol' Bootstrap, but most boarded boats and fled the second they saw the Pearl approach."  
"What about a little girl? Her name would be Madisyn." Mr. Gibbs went pale. He seemed to have sobered in a second after Will mentioned the name.  
"Where you done hear that name, young Turner?"  
"Around." Will said casually. He decided that he didn't want to go into the details of the dream, or even mention it for that matter.  
"That not be a name one just hears around, Will. It be the name of a cursed girl Ol' Bootstrap took a likin' to. She was the daughter of a female pirate, a dangerous one by the name of Lucky Ann, but don't let 'er name go and fool ya, this pirate was cursed. An old family curse that no one can seem to get rid of. She was the unluckiest person ever. Ever hear the sayin' 'It's bad luck to have a woman aboard.'? Well, with Lucky Ann it was true. Only a select few sailed with her. Yer father bein' one of them. Well, Ann got pregnant and died during birth. Bootstrap felt terrible so he took charge of little Madisyn." Gibbs leaned closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'll tell you this, if he'd dropped that kid off at the nearest port I'd bet my life that Bootstrap would still be alive."  
Will was in a slight state of shock. He had secretly hoped that Madisyn had been a creation of his own mind. But now that she was real (or had been at one point) he had just stepped into something just as strange as the curse of the Black Pearl. But there was one final thing he had to ask.  
"Do you know anything about Bootstrap and a map?" 


	4. Bootstrap's Map

Gibbs seemed to brighten his look. "Ah! Well, now you be askin' more chipper questions, Young Turner. This be a legend among pirates today. But first answer me this: Why does a pirate stay a pirate?"  
Will answered rather quickly, "Greed."  
Gibbs shook his head, "Nay, Turner. It may start out that way, but a good pirate is in the biz for one reason, and one reason only."  
Will waited for the reason, so when none came he asked, "What?"  
Gibbs smiled. "They like it." Will did not like this explanation. He still hadn't come to terms with the fact that his father had been a notorious pirate. "Did ya not ever wonder why Jack Sparrow's still sailing about? He's as rich as a king now, but he just keeps his swag in the cave and sails about, dabbling in it only when he needs to. The best pirates do this. They hide their treasure and only take what they need, when they need it. Well, Bootstrap he did just that, but his treasure was great. He'd been in the business for thirty years, your pop, and he only spent his swag on repairs, provisions, and he sent home money to yer mum. Everything else he saved. His treasure is a legend, and no one, not even his crew knows where it is hidden, 'cept, ofcourse, that cursed girl, Madisyn. It's said she even drew the map for Bootstrap Bill. And let me tell ya somethin', Bill's treasure must be ten times that of Barbossa's. Bill was the best pirate to ever live, and he collected for thirty years."  
Will wasn't really interested in treasure. Besides, it had been stolen, but if Bill's treasure was bigger than Barbossa's, he'd love to see it.  
He had to tell himself he only wanted to see it. That he didn't want to take it. That it wasn't his. That he wouldn't be in a better situation to care for Elizabeth if he had it. That he wasn't a pirate.  
Still, the idea of the treasure was overwhelming and appealing.  
Will walked home that night alone, leaving Gibbs with another tankard of ale. His mind was fixed on the treasure, a fact that disturbed him greatly.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Will arrived home just as the sun began to rise. Elizabeth was awake and sitting near the front door. Her worried face quickly faded to relief when he walked in. She rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck.  
Surprised, he pulled her away, "What's wrong, Elizabeth?"  
She smiled, "Nothing, I just woke up and you weren't there. I was afraid you had left."  
Will was a little confused, "Left? Why would I leave? I love you."  
Elizabeth didn't voice her true worry, but simply said, "New wife worries, I suppose. Where did you go then?"  
Will pulled Elizabeth into the sitting room and retold his entire dream and meeting with Mr. Gibbs. Elizabeth listened intently, but looked very grim. After he finished she asked, "Do you think Madisyn is alive?"  
Will shrugged, "Maybe. But if she is she could be anywhere in the world. Why?"  
Elizabeth shivered, "I also had a dream, Will. I had a dream that you and Jack Sparrow were going in search of a woman named Madisyn. That you were leaving me to find her. That was why I was afraid you had left."  
Will didn't say anything. The dreams were more than dreams, he knew this now. But what could he do?  
"What are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked. "Do you want to find her? I'm sure, if she is still alive, she could tell you quite a bit about your father, and that treasure."  
"Find her?" Will repeated. "How could I find her. She could be anywhere. I'd need a ship and provision, and lead as to where she is would help."  
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when a knock came to the door. 


	5. Early Morning Surprise

A cloaked figure stood on the Turner's doorsteps when Will and Elizabeth answered the door.  
"Can I help you?" Will asked.  
The cloaked person lifted her head slightly so that Will and Elizabeth could catch a glance at the person underneath.  
"Ana Maria?" Elizabeth asked.

Ana Maria quickly hushed her then said, "Is your father around, or Norrington?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No one. Only Will and I."

"Good." Ana Maria quickly waved into some bushes, and almost immediately seven of the Black Pearl's crew members climbed out. Two were supporting a bloody and unconscious Jack Sparrow.

Will and Elizabeth stepped aside to allow the pirates into the home. Will closed the door behind them and Elizabeth followed them into the sitting room. The two pirates who supported Jack laid him down on a sofa. "Just leave 'im there, mates." Ana Maria said before turning to Will and Elizabeth. The couple couldn't help but to notice Jack Sparrow wasn't the only who appeared injured. Ana Maria herself was sporting a fresh black eye, but she smiled anyway and said, "We got ourselves into a bit of a skirmish at sea last night, as you can probably tell."

"What happened to Jack?" Will asked.

"Oh, he got it worse than any of us. But then again, none of us were facing off against Morgan Stacey."

"Who?" Will asked then said quickly, "Never mind, it isn't important. We've got to get a doctor."

"No!" Ana Maria insisted. "Jack Sparrow's a wanted man in Port Royal. We all are. You get a doctor, and we might as well hang ourselves now. Jack just needs a place to rest for a while. A place to hide, really. A ship's no good place to heal oneself."

Will was about to say they should at least try, but it was futile. Norrington, while a good man, was bound by the law. Jack and his men were banished. To turn up in public would surly cause more trouble than a wounded Jack Sparrow could handle.

"Alright," Will said. Ana Maria smiled, a true rarity as far as the Turners were concerned.

"We have the ship recovering just a few miles east of Port Royal. We will be there until Jack is well. Please, help him get there when he is well enough. It shouldn't take more than a few days."

Elizabeth, who had immediately began to tend to Jacks wounds, shook her head. "I don't agree, Ana Maria." She said, "I am no doctor, but Jack seems to need more than just a few days. He could be unconscious the whole time."

"Don't be silly, Elizabeth, I've known Jack longer than you. He's had worse injuries than this and been up the next day to cause chaos. Jack's like that, you'll soon learn."

Ana Maria had made a slight understatement. Thirty minutes after the pirates had left Jack, and Elizabeth was satisfied he was comfortable, the injured pirate woke up. Elizabeth had gone from the room to fetch some clean cloth to dress his wounds. She had found a pretty nasty cut on his torso. Will was left to watch over the injured pirate.  
Feeling confused about the whole situation, Will had sat down in the spare bedroom he had moved Jack to before Ana Maria left. The house, built by the Governor, Elizabeth's father, for the newly weds sat atop a cliff and overlooked the ocean. Will had chosen the chair near a set of long windows that encompassed nearly the entire wall. He thought of his dream, everything Gibbs had spoken of and the sudden appearance of his old friend.

"Will?"  
The voice interrupted Will's thoughts and caused him to turn in his chair toward the bed Jack lay on.  
Jack was now sitting up. His shirt had been removed and the scars of his past were scattered across his chest, the newest of which bleed through the make shift bandages Jacks crew had fashioned for him before bringing him to the Turners.  
"Where's 'Lizabeth?" Jack asked, "She hasn't left you already, has she?"  
Will laughed. "Not yet. But now that your back..." There was something different about Jack. His peculiar movement and speech was the same, but there was something, hidden just below the surface.  
"Had a rough night, I take it." Will said, leaving his chair and going to stand next to the bed Jack was in.  
"Nah," Jack replied. He looked around the room, taking in his very simple surroundings. To Jack, the place was perfect, homely and comfortable; to Will it wasn't enough. Will didn't want the luxury of a house live Governor Swann's, but he feared Elizabeth did. His simple home wasn't enough for his once very wealthy wife.  
Jack looked down at his bare chest. "Where is my shirt?"  
"Elizabeth was tending to your wounds."  
"I don't need tending to." He threw his legs over the edge of the bed. "I need my shirt. I told Ana Maria not to bring me here."  
"When?" Will asked "Before you passed out?"  
Jack starred Will down for a moment. "As a matter of fact, yes. Where's my sword?"  
"I don't know." Will answered honestly.  
Jack tried to stand, but the pain made him wince and return to the bed. "Well, since I have no weapon, I guess I'll have to stay a while." Jack said reluctantly, "But not for long." He clarified, "I only have a scratch."  
"A deep, bleeding wound is more like it, Jack." Elizabeth had just returned with an arm full of clean cloth. "Now lay down, Jack Sparrow, before I have Will hold you down."  
"'Lizabeth, love," He said doing just as she said and lying back on the bed. "It's a pleasure to be seeing you again."  
"Don't 'Love' me," Elizabeth said, "I'm not in the mood for your antics. You disappear for a year without so much as note and return near death. Oh no. I am not running a hospital here. If you wanted to visit, you didn't have to go get yourself into a fight."  
"Well, I didn't choose to get attacked." Jack said.  
"You were attacked?" Will asked, surprised because Jack was usually a very careful pirate.  
"No." Jack replied, very unconvincingly.  
"By who?"  
"Are you two married yet?" Jack said, trying to change the topic. Will understood immediately and did not press the issue.  
"Three months now. We sent out an invitation to you, but didn't expect you to come."  
"I never got the invitation. I've been busy."  
"Squandering your treasure, right?" Elizabeth added in.  
"No." Jack replied matter of factly. "I haven't touched that treasure aside from the necessary repairs and provisions."  
Will was suddenly reminded of what Gibbs about a true pirate. Before he could stop himself Will blurted out the question. "Who's Madisyn Hart?"


	6. The Commodore Calls

Jacks' eyes narrowed and he starred intently at Will for a few seconds before saying, with a tone of solemnity as Will had never heard before from his old friend, "Never 'eard of her, Mate."

Will matched Jacks' stare as a new determination began to creep up. "Gibbs knew about her. He talked about her. Seemed like anyone who knew my father knew her so you must have, seeing as how you hold old Bootstrap in such high regard."

Jack tried to break the tension by turning to Elizabeth and asking, "Got any rum, Love?"

Elizabeths response was a disapproving sigh, but Will wasn't quite ready to let the subject disappear.

"Jack," Will said, his voice laced with an eager frustration, "I know you know something. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice. I want – no, I need to know about her."

Jack looked at Elizabeth for a way out, but she had turned her back to the men, carefully folding and refolding the dozens of white bandages she had brought up for Jacks wounds. Jack looked back at Will. "Young Madi Hart is hardly something I wanna talk about in my state, Will." Again, the response was uncharacteristic for the great Jack Sparrow.

Will allowed that response for the time being. Jack did seem rather tired and his pain was obvious. Will took a more passive role the rest of the morning as Elizabeth redressed Jacks wounds, speaking only when necessary and playing nurse for his wife. Jack fell asleep quickly and the young couple snuck out of the room.

Elizabeth, whose white night gown now had blood drops on it, grabbed her husbands arm. "Well, this has most certainly been an eventful morning."

"Indeed," was all Will could reply before another knock at the Turners front door silenced them. Will and Elizabeth looked at each other then hurried to the door. Will cautiously looked out a window.

Will say the tall, strapping commodore standing on the front stoop, one hand assaulting the wooden door, the other gripped on his sword.

"It's Norington!" Will proclaimed.

"Norington!" Elizabeth exclaimed, "Of all the days for him to visit!"

Will looked down, toward Norington's feet. There Will could see drops of blood that could only be from Jack Sparrow. "He must know something is up."

Elizabeth pulled her husband from the window. "We must answer. He will be more suspicious if we do not."

Will nodded an agreement. "You, hurry upstairs." He commanded.

Elizabeth stood still, clearly not happy over the direct command. "And why must I leave?"

Will could not help smile. Elizabeth's stubborn and independent nature was just a couple of qualities he loved so much about his wife.

Will pointed to the blood stained nightgown, "If Norington isn't already suspicious, surely this blood will raise some questions."

Elizabeth blushed. She had forgotten the blood. "Right, sorry. I'll go upstairs to Jack, keep him quiet if he wakes. You just get rid of the lawman."

Elizabeth quickly kissed her husband and hurried up the stairs.


End file.
